Do you believe that Jesus can open the eyes of the spiritually blind?

 11 Jan 26

Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One


Readings:

Genesis 27

Genesis 28

Matthew 9:18-38


But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 4:3). 


Do you believe that Jesus can open the eyes of the spiritually blind?


God requires believers to have faith that He is able to work miracles, whether that is through Ezekiel, who prophesied to dead bones to come alive (Ezekiel 37), or through us, who witness to the spiritually blind to be saved. Our Lord asks the blind men seeking to have sight a fascinating question in Matthew 9: “And Jesus said to them. ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’” (Matthew 9:28). They respond in the affirmative and our Lord says, “According to your faith let it be to you” (Matthew 9:29). We must believe in Jesus’ person (who He is) and His work (what He does) in order to please Him. The writer of Hebrews states it this way, “for he who comes to God must believe that He is” (Hebrews 11:6). 


Employment Point: Believe that Jesus can open the eyes of the blind.

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Reflections

Do you believe that Jesus is still alive and still performs miracles to this very day?


I do. Because I myself had witnessed, experienced and even heard of many miracles that is still happening today. The Lord still heals and brings about transformation in the hearts of His people! 


Just two days before, I met two of my friends for dinner and movie and one of them shared that her mum is in ICU due to keto acidosis. Her sugar went to 40+ and she was also dehydrated and confused. We prayed for her and she also sought prayers from her CG and pastors and the next morning, she delivered to us good news that her mum’s sugar had dropped to 7.4 and ketones to 0.4! Wow, such great news and praise the Lord indeed!


I’m just thinking if I go to the Lord to ask for healing and He were to say to me that I be healed according to my faith, what kind of faith do I have? Remembering the woman who touched the fringe of Jesus’s garment and was healed. It wasn’t the garment but her faith in the Lord, knowing Him and His powers. Happen to also see this video that depicts it nicely : https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRNu6bIjn-M/?igsh=MWo3NTkzMWtuZnduNg==


Friends, we are worshipping a living God, who still speaks to us and guides us by the Holy Spirit. The same God who was with the Israelites and with Abraham is also with us today!! Have the faith of the centurion and the bleeding woman and cling on to His promises. He will reveal that He is bigger than anything else in the whole wide world! Praise You Lord!!

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What My Obedience to God Costs Others

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

January 11


They seized Simon from Cyrene . . . and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. —Luke 23:26


If we obey God, it is going to cost other people more than it costs us. We delight in obeying our Lord because we are in love with him. But this means that his plans come first in our lives, not the plans of other people. If the people around us do not love him, they may accuse us of indifference or selfishness. They may taunt us: “You call this Christianity?”


It isn’t indifference or independence that makes us act as we do. Many of us would probably prefer to be independent, to carry the burden of our obedience alone, never asking anyone for anything. We must learn that to obey is to be swept up in God’s universal purposes. His purpose for other people may be that they help us in his work, as Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus with the cross, or as Susanna offered him material support (Luke 8:2–3). To refuse help like this is to let our pride win out.


Are we going to remain loyal to God and go through the humiliation of depending on others? Or are we going to say, “I will not cause other people to suffer. I will not cost them anything”? Beware of the inclination to dictate to God what you will allow to happen if you obey him.


We can disobey God if we choose; we can prevent other people from suffering. Our disobedience will bring immediate relief. But it will hurt our Lord and, in the long run, fail to help anyone: God has already thought about the consequences of our obedience. If we obey, he—not we—will take care of everyone involved. We need only to let him.


Genesis 27-28; Matthew 8:18-34


WISDOM FROM OSWALD

It is impossible to read too much, but always keep before you why you read. Remember that “the need to receive, recognize, and rely on the Holy Spirit” is before all else.

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Reflections

This devotional reminds me of my choice on 7 Jan.  Mum’s birthday that day and there is a thought that came to mind that kind of say maybe I dun go CG and accompany her instead. But I felt a bigger calling to attend CG instead of spending time with her. It was also our CG’s first mini prayer and praise. 


Thank God for His prompting that my mum loved the handmade cards I did and she was probably jealous a bit and so I made her one just before I sleep the night before and put in efforts to nicely decorate it so it’s nice and unique. She told me she was so touched when she saw it. Also forgot to buy cake for her the night before so I have to go buy one before I head to work cos I rber she will buy a cake for herself on her bday regardless. 


Even the hairdresser whom we frequent brought some hot glutinous rice that she made early in the morning for my mum. She felt soooo blessed!!


I really thank God for the promptings as I dun remember everything but He does. And His promptings made me feel loved too. And the best part was during CG, a fellow sister passed something to me for mum as it was meant to thank her for visiting her mum when she was in hospital. She wanted to do this long time ago but only managed to do it that day and not sure why she too got the strong prompting to do that on that specific day! Like wow. God is good because Angie didn’t know it’s my mum’s bday and that is truly how the Lord is also speaking to my mum that He loves her so much as she seeks Him more.


Lord, thank You for loving us more than we can love and has shown us Your great love beyond what we can understand. Praise You Lord 🙏🏻🙌🏻✝️


Even when I was praying during CG, I was reminded to seek Him first, His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to me. Indeed if I had not gone to CG I would not have experienced the goodness and love of God in this miraculous way. 


When I was at the CG, my friends were stunned when I told them it is my mum’s birthday and one exclaimed aiyo! I was like why you aiyo? Like then I was suppose to accompany my mum since it is her birthday? That’s when I explained I made her a card and bought her a cake and also arranged to bring her to JB for a mini celebration after. But now, seek Him first. 


In my heart, I have already decided that Jesus will come first. He will come before anyone and even myself. This is the order and priority that He has spoken to me in 2025 and all the more so it is something I ought to put into practice. He has indeed shown us by choosing and seeking Him first, it is the best choice ever! Thank You Lord!! Love You Lord! Praise You Father! Hallelujah ✝️🙌🏻❤️

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